All in One Current Affairs

Amendments in National Commission for Homeopathy Bill, 2019 approved by Union Cabinet

The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019 for amending the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 has been approved by The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the Bill is still pending in Rajya Sabha. The amendments will ensure necessary regulatory reforms in the field of Homoeopathy education, enabling transparency and accountability for protecting the interest of the general public. The National Commission will also promote the availability of affordable healthcare services across the country.

China becomes world’s 2nd-biggest weapons producer

China has been ranked as the world’s second-largest weapons manufacturer, behind the US. according to a new research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The Asian superpower jumped ahead of Russia, from whom they used to buy many weapons. The new research shows that four Chinese arms groups generate sufficient sales to be ranked among the world’s top 20 weapons sellers.

Budgetary practices topped by Assam, followed by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

In terms of best practices followed in budget formulation the list is topped by Assam followed by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, as stated in a survey by Transparency International. Goa, Maharashtra and Punjab were placed in the bottom of the ranking list. The survey was based on four parameters – public disclosure, budgetary process, post budget fiscal management and efforts to make budget more transparent and citizen friendly.

Prakash Javadekar announces declaration of 10 more wetlands as Ramsar sites

In a major recognition towards Government of India’s effort towards conservation, restoration and rejuvenation of its wetlands, Ramsar has declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance. Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention. Union Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar said that the Ramsar declaration is an acknowledgement of Government of India’s commitment in achieving the conservation and sustainable use of the important wetlands of the country.

The 10 new ones are Nandur Madhameshwar in Maharashtra; Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve and Nangal in Punjab; and Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar in Uttar Pradesh. The other Ramsar sites are in Rajasthan, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. With this, a total of 37 sites in the country have been recognised under the international treaty.

New spacecraft to be launched to take pictures of Sun’s poles

NASA, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), will launch a new spacecraft to snap the first pictures of the Sun’s north and south poles. The Solar Orbiter spacecraft will be launched from Cape Canaveral in the U.S. on February 7, 2020. The spacecraft will use Venus’s and the Earth’s gravity will be used by the spacecraft to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane.

UK Brexit deal approved by European Parliament

The European Union parliament has approved United Kingdom Brexit deal. European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to approve the Brexit deal with London, clearing the final hurdle for Britain’s departure from the EU. The vote was 621 to 49 in favour of the Brexit deal that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated with the other 27 EU leaders. After Britain’s departure, the UK will remain within the EU’s economic arrangements until the end of the year. UK will not have any say in policy as it will not be a member of the EU.

Tailor-made insurance policies for drones to be offered by Tata AIG

Tata AIG has partnered with Drone Federation of India for drone insurance. The partnership will help create insurance solutions for the drone industry and help operationalise a very important part of the civil aviation requirements for remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) as mandated by DGCA India. The new association that aims to create tailor-made insurance solutions for the Drone Industry will thus, play an important role in providing innovative risk solutions to customers.

Rs 1 crore penalty imposed on HDFC Bank by RBI

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on HDFC Bank for non-compliance of master directions of KYC directions. The bank failed to undertake on‐going due diligence in the case of 39 current accounts opened for bidding in Initial Public Offer. It was observed that the transactions effected in these current accounts were disproportionate to the declared income and profile of the customers.

Gujarat’s Motera Cricket Stadium expected to host IPL 2020 final

The final match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 can be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium also known as Motera Stadium in Ahemadabad, Gujarat. The stadium will have a seating capacity of 1,10,000 spectators overtaking the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia which is the largest cricket stadium in the world at the moment, hence making the Motera Stadium the largest cricket arena in the world when its construction is completed.

NHAI approached by Reliance Industries for waste plastic-to-road technology

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been approached by Reliance Industries for offering its ‘waste plastic-to-road’ technology that uses end-of-life plastic for road construction. It took 14-18 months to develop the mechanism where the end-of-life waste plastic-like packaging of snacks and flimsy polyethylene bags could be used in the construction of road. The company has piloted few projects. At its Nagothane manufacturing site in Raigad district, it has constructed about 40 km road by mixing 50 tonne of end-of-life plastic waste with bitumen. Along with NHAI, RIL is also in talks with state governments and local bodies across the country for offering its technology.

1 million dollars grant to promote news literacy announced by Google

Google News Initiative (GNI) has announced one million dollars grant for  Internews – a news literacy organisation, to counter fake news and misinformation in India. The initiative will focus on delivering news literacy, especially in the non-metro cities working towards building a strong network of senior reporters and journalists, who will counteract fake news in India. The funding support is part of Google’s broader, 10 million dollars commitment to media literacy.

Neeraj Chopra qualifies for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86m at the Athletics Central North East Meeting League, making an impressive return to the circuit after recovering from an elbow injury. The 22-year-old Indian, breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85m in his fourth attempt and secured the top place at the international event. Neeraj’s last major international competition was the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games last August where he won gold with a national record of 88.06m.

Former Bihar Minister Abdul Gafoor passes away at 60

Former Bihar Minister and RJD MLA Abdul Gafoor died at a hospital in New Delhi on Tuesday. He was 60. Gafoor was suffering from liver ailment for past quite some time and was admitted to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Delhi a week ago. He breathed his last this morning at the ILBS hospital. Gafoor represented Mahishi constituency in Bihar assembly for 4 times. He was the former Minister of Minority Welfare in Nitish Kumar Government of Bihar.

Eminent Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma passes away at 89

Eminent Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma passed away due to age related ailments. Sarma also an academic, intellectual and a living example of Hindu-Muslim unity in Assam had authored nearly 100 books. The last book of the retired professor of Nalbari College was titled ‘Antim Jatra’ which was released last year. Sarma had received the Soviet Nehru Award in 1968 and the Sitanath Brahma Chowdhury Award.

As per Sarma’s wish to donate his body for medical research, his mortal remains were taken in a procession from Nalbari and handed over to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday. His eyes were donated to the Sri Sankardeva Netralaya hospital. The writer has also donated his residential house here to the CPI(M) party.

Senior Congress leader M Kamalam passes away at 92

Senior Congress leader and ex-minister M Kamalam passed away at her residence in Kozhikode on Thursday morning. She was 92. She was Co-operation Minister between 1982-1985 during Chief Minister K Karunakaran’s tenure. She represented Kalpetta Assembly constituency twice – having won in 1980 and in 1982. She served as Vice President and general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).  She had also served as Chairperson of the Kerala Women’s Commission.

Country’s first ‘walk-through’ aviary inaugurated in Mumbai

India’s first and biggest ‘walk-through’ aviary was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo also known as Byculla Zoo in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The aviary will house over 100 species of rare, exotic and common birds, living their natural environs. A small bridge passing through the aviary will be opened for the public to walk through and view the birds at close quarters.

Gujarat: ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Centre’ foundation stone laid by S Jaishankar

The foundation stone of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Centre was laid by External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar near the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat. The centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods will be a state-of-the-art skill Development centre in the tribal area. It will have all modern infrastructure and will run several skill courses for free, aligned to the National Skills Qualification Framework. GMR Varalakshmi Foundation along with Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited has taken initiative to establish this Centre with an investment of over Rs 15 crore.

Calcutta University confers Abhijit Banerjee with ‘Doctor of Letters’

Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee was conferred the honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) by alma mater Calcutta University at its annual convocation in Kolkata. Abhijit was awarded Nobel Prize in 2019 for “Experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. He is one of the directors of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), United States of America (USA) founded in 2003.

War memorial built by Assam Rifles in Nagaland for 357 martyrs

Assam Rifles constructed a combined war memorial in Nagaland for the 357 Army and Assam Rifles personnel killed while fighting insurgency in the northeastern state. The monument was built at Mokokchung, which is also the cultural and intellectual center of Nagaland. The names of the 357 martyrs are carved, each on a single granite stone. The war memorial designed in a concentric circular form, with outer rectangular flower beds as boundary wall. The central arena, the heart of the memorial, comprises two circular podiums with a 19-feet high main memorial mast having three converging posts signifying the Army, Air Force, and Assam Rifles.